Aisha Alhassan, the immediate past minister of women affairs and child development, has urged youths in the state to resist attempts by politicians to use them as political thugs.

Alhassan, the governorship candidate of United Democratic Party (UDP), made the appeal in Jalingo on Tuesday, December 4, during the inauguration of her campaign committee and unveiling of her manifesto for the development of Taraba state.

The former minister advised the youth to rather demand to know the programmes and policies spelt out in the politicians' manifestos that were targeted at youth development.

She cautioned religious and traditional leaders to distance themselves from partisan politics and consider all candidates as their children during and after the electioneering period.

Alhassan alleged that some clerics had already taken sides with some candidates as they had openly castigated others and dismissed the chances of some candidates based on gender.

She explained that she left the All Progressives Congress (APC) and joined UDP because of the injustice meted out to her by the party leadership.

“There are some clerics who are sponsored to castigate me and such clerics are going from one local government to another to mislead people that the APC governorship candidate is more suitable than me,'' she said.

Alhassan challenged such clerics to assemble both of them for a debate to see who is more qualified in terms of education and working experience.

She explained that her blueprint of the state was very clear and extensive. She said, she had carefully put it in place and intended to implement if voted into power in 2019.

Alhassan promised to give priority to education, healthcare services, agriculture, infrastructure and youth empowerment. According to her, what is paramount is the unity among the people of the state.

She noted that if elected, she would reunite the people of the state, irrespective of religious, ethnic or regional affiliation.

Report said the flagging off of the campaign also marked the acceptance of some people that decamped from other political parties to UDP.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Alhaji Sani Abubakar, the APC governorship candidate in Taraba, had received more than 5,000 members of the UDP and other political parties in the state who defected to the ruling party.

The defectors, including local government and ward officials, had earlier left the APC and followed the former minister of women affairs, Senator Aisha Alhassan (Mama Taraba), to the UDP.

Receiving the defectors on Saturday, November 10 in Jalingo, Abubakar said with the publication of the list of the party's candidates for various positions, all issues and grievances arising from the recent primaries have been laid to rest.